Joe Mixon quietly finished last week’s game on the sideline while nursing an ankle injury, and with the Dolphins visiting the Bengals for Week 4’s Thursday Night Football showcase, his health is under a microscope. Given Mixon’s status as a “must-start” RB, knowing the latest updates on his status — and whether you should rush to the waiver wire to pick up handcuff Samaje Perine — will be key ahead of your first start ’em, sit ’em decision of the week.
We’ll continue to update this article with news on Mixon up until the official active/inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:50 p.m. ET.
Is Joe Mixon playing Thursday night?
Mixon (ankle) sat out the latter half of the fourth quarter in Week 3, though that might have been more precautionary than anything considering the Bengals had a 15-point lead against the Jets. Either way, there was some cause for concern about his health heading into a short week, but coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Mixon should be “good to go” for Cincinnati’s Thursday night showdown with the Dolphins. We’ll assume that’s reliable and expect Mixon to be out there come Thursday.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
Of course, anytime we’re dealing with a quick turnaround, fantasy owners should take every precaution. Samaje Perine would be the next man up, and he’s showed in the past he can have value when given the opportunity. Even last week, he posted 61 total yards and a TD on just 11 touches. If Mixon has a setback and is a surprise scratch, Perine would immediately vault into low-end RB2/flex territory against a strong Dolphins’ run defense.
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
If Mixon plays as expected, he’ll be a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 despite potentially seeing a few less carries than usual. He’s averaged just under 24 touches per game this year, and he’s top seven in both RB targets (20) and receptions (13). As good as the Dolphins have been against running backs on the ground, they had problems containing Devin Singletary as a receiver last week (nine catches, 78 yards, TD), so one way or another, Mixon will get his yards. Start him with no hesitations, but make sure you have Perine on your bench as insurance.
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